Our goal is to provide direct recommendations to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and other current and future telescopes, as well as generating a paper for Astro 2020. Recommendations will focus on the resources, expertise, and leadership needed to address workforce development challenges in astronomy, including advancement in a range of different career pathways, such as scientific users, telescope operations, and instrument builders.

In December 2018 we are holding a workshop in Pasadena that is intended to draft recommendations to TMT, and inform our next steps.

For information contact: Lisa Hunter, lhunter@ucsc.edu

Preparing an Inclusive Astronomy Community through Effective Professional Development

Our goal is to submit a “state of the profession” position paper for Astro 2020. Recommendations will focus on aligning departmental, institutional, and national resources toward supporting professional development in a manner that is known to be effective, for astronomy community members at all career stages. While characteristics of effective training apply to many professional roles and practices, professional development toward inclusive and effective mentoring, teaching, and leadership is essential to advance an equitable astronomy community.

For information contact: Nicholas McConnell, njmcconn@ucsc.edu

Initial ideas for these papers were presented at the June 2018 American Astronomical Society meeting in Denver.

We are interested in collecting input from community of ISEE alumni and the broader astronomy and telescope communities, to develop these position papers and coordinate them with other position papers for Astro 2020. If you are interested in contributing to either effort, please contact either lead author above, or let us know here: https://goo.gl/forms/eM0fCQEdxF19hp3e2